ATLANTA (AP) — Once again Stitched Tony Gonzalez Jersey , wis isn’t ducking from the bad memories of his career low point in 2000, when he and a pair friends were charged for the stabbing deaths of two men outside a nightclub hours after the last Super Bowl played here.Now a Super Bowl champion, an NFL Hall of Famer and a broadcaster, Lewis has spent the last 19 years rebuilding his reputation after that night. The most serious charges against Lewis were dropped, and he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor obstruction of justice.This Super Bowl, Lewis is back in Atlanta to promote hope and healing, using his celebrity spotlight to bring exposure to his Ray of Hope Foundation, which gets celebrities and athletes to send inspirational personal video messages for those in need.The goal of the big-ticket event, dubbed Gold Jacket Party for a Purpose, is to raise money for the foundation. The event is expected to attract dozens of sports and entertainment celebrities.“Purpose is forever,” Lewis told The Associated Press. “The game comes and goes but purpose is forever.”It seems a long way from 2000, when the prevailing image of Lewis was him in an Atlanta jail with handcuffs and shackles.Lewis, Joseph Sweeting and Reginald Oakley were charged in double murders that happened after a party in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood following the St. Louis Rams’ win over the Tennessee Titans. The victims were stabbed to death and one victim’s blood was found in Lewis’ limo.Murder and aggravated assault charges against Lewis were dropped with his misdemeanor plea. He also agreed to testify against the other defendants, who were acquitted.Lewis received a year of probation by the court and was fined $250,000 by the NFL. He settled two lawsuits for undisclosed amounts with family members of the victims, Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar. Baker and Lollar are buried in Akron, Ohio — only a short drive from the Hall of Fame in Canton, where Lewis was honored last year.The killings, Lewis’ arrest and the ice storm that disrupted Super Bowl preparations nearly overshadowed the big game. The NFL didn’t agree to have another Super Bowl in Atlanta until the Falcons built a new $1.5 billion stadium.Lewis, 43, has moved on and believes others have as well. He frequently returns to the city. He says he organized another Atlanta Super Bowl party two years ago when the Falcons lost to the Patriots’ in Houston.“My sisters live in Atlanta,” Lewis said. “I’ve been in Atlanta for years, all over Atlanta.”Atlanta-based financial adviser Rob Vaka, who leads the Ray of Hope Foundation with Lewis and ESPN’s Sport Science host John Brenkus, said his wife had apprehensions about him working with Lewis until she researched the details of the case.“My wife is a native” of Atlanta, Vaka said. “She had her apprehensions. She did her own research. She’s the supreme skeptic. She did more research than me and she came back to me and said ‘What I heard is not accurate.'”Vaka added, “At some point you have to make a decision I’m going to move on and I’m going to forgive, whether I have all of the facts or some of the facts. … I believe he’s a terrific human being.”Others also share that opinion.Among the former NFL greats expected to attend are Jim Brown, Deion Sanders, Ed Reed and Eddie George and many current players Youth Tony Gonzalez Jersey , including Grady Jackson and Austin Hooper of the Atlanta Falcons.Sanders said Lewis “is a wonderful, inspirational, caring, thoughtful individual which I Iove like a brother.”“I’m not going to go into the incident that happened, but Ray, but that’s not Ray,” Sanders told AP on Thursday. “That wasn’t Ray, and I know that for a fact, so I’m thankful. He worked his way out of it.”Lewis said purpose was the theme of his stirring speech at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony last August.The theme carries over to next week’s party, with tickets priced from $750 to $2,500, before the Feb. 3 Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots.The foundation’s roster of athletes, coaches and other celebrities provide short, uplifting personalized videos for those in dire need, including sick children.Among those who make the videos are former NFL players Takeo Spikes, Merril Hoge, Trent Dilfer and George, golfer Dustin Johnson, Atlanta Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff and Olympians Michael Phelps, Summer Sanders and Apolo Ohno.“We built a really good roster and we’re looking at this event as a springboard to do some much bigger things,” Vaka said.Vaka said the foundation, only two years old, needs a new website, new technology and support but already has impacted dozens of lives. Lewis draws the most requests.“It’s a really simple thing, but it’s more important than you could ever imagine,” Lewis said. “Messages of hope connect people from all over the world that are experiencing some sort of pain. You take an influential role model to inspire them for a lasting impact.”Lewis said he realizes he has power away from the playing field.“That’s the glory of it, man,” he said. “That’s the excitement of where I’m starting to move in the second half of my life, figuring out my greatest ability is access because of my reputation, because of my name Stitched Deion Sanders Jersey , because of my brand. I want to use it to bring people together, so I use it.”Lewis said he is consumed by his passion to instill hope in others. He relishes the joy he receives from making a positive impact.“You can make a lot of money,” he said. “You can be successful. You can be a lot of things. But when someone references you and they say to you, ‘You changed my life’ that’s a different conversation. Every time. Every time.“Oh my gosh, it’s just exciting, man.” The Falcons are trying to achieve the goals of learning, practicing, and furthering the qualities of leadership."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Library FalcFans Podcast on The FalcoholicContact The FalcoholicFalcons StoriesScheduleRosterStatsYahoo Falcons NewsYahoo Falcons Team PageYahoo Falcons ReportYahoo Falcons Depth ChartYahoo Falcons TransactionsYahoo Falcons PhotosOdds About Masthead Community Guidelines StubHub 鉁旳tlanta Falcons visit U.S. Military Academy at West PointNew,5commentsThe Falcons are trying to achieve the goals of learning, practicing, and furthering the qualities of leadership.EDTShareTweetShareShareAtlanta Falcons visit U.S. Military Academy at West PointMembers of the Atlanta Falcons organization spent two days this offseason visiting the U.S. Military Academy at West Point located in West Point, NY. From April 10 through 11, Falcons’ players, coaches, and front office members had the opportunity to thank individuals within the Academy for all that they do, as well as partake in leadership activities and learn more about the history of West Point.Dan Quinn, the recipient of the NFL’s 2016 Salute to Service Award understands the importance of the military, and strives to implements their teamwork and brotherhood into the game of football. Players who made the trip to West Point include: Ricardo Allen, Russell Gage, De’Vondre Campbell, Grady Jarrett, Steven Means, Alex Mack, Keanu Neal, Foye Oluokun, Matt Schaub, Duke Riley, Logan Paulsen, and Isaiah Oliver.Also joining the players were head coach Dan Quinn, special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica Youth Deion Sanders Jersey , senior assistant Bob Sutton, owner and chairman Arthur Blank, Angie Blank, CEO of AMB Group Steve Cannon, SVP and chief communications officer Brett Jewkes, president & CEO Rich McKay, and director of strategic initiatives Justin Schaaf.It may have been a trip, but this was no vacation for the Falcons. The players took part in the “Trail of the Fallen” at the end of the first day. The trail features stones at the top of the hike that have been carried up and placed on the top of the mountain in memory of soldiers who have died in military conflicts.On the second day of the trip, the players, coaches, and front office members participated in three leader reaction courses. The course highlights the opportunity to strengthen team bonding and gives individuals the chance to showcase leadership qualities.Later in the day, the Falcons visited the West Point Post Cemetery to pay respect to the members of the US Corps of Cadets, its faculty, staff and West Point graduates who have given their lives in the service of this nation.The players were privileged to hear from John Kennedy, brother of Major Thomas E. Kennedy, who was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan on August 8, 2012. Major Thomas E. Kennedy, nicknamed ‘TK’, was a graduate of West Point and a former Army hockey player. John Kennedy shared stories with the group about his brother, describing the type of leader TK was.If there’s one thing you can say about the Atlanta Falcons organization, it’s that they honor and respect the U.S. military. A member of the Falcons organization has been the recipient of the NFL’s prestigious Salute to Service Award for the past three seasons (Dan Quinn 2016, Andre Roberts 2017, and Ben Garland 2018). The Salute to Service Award acknowledges the exceptional efforts by members of the NFL community to honor and support U.S. service members, veterans, and their families.Additionally, CEO AMB Group Steve Cannon, special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica, and director of strategic initiatives Justin Schaaf are all West Point graduates. Senior assistant Bob Sutton spent almost two decades coaching at Army, from 1983-1999.